


Caim

by KaelsMiscellany



Series: We're a Modern Day Saga [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Evil is afoot! (good thing it's not metric or it'd be up a meter), F/M, Fox!Stiles, M/M, Magic!Stiles, Massive group trips FTW!, Multi, Pagans, Peter has a crush and Lydia indulges him, Poisoner!Lydia, The one where they travel to Finland, Watch me skip clear past season 3 and go onto season 4!, magic!Lydia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-05
Updated: 2012-10-05
Packaged: 2017-11-15 16:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaelsMiscellany/pseuds/KaelsMiscellany
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scottish Gaelic Literally meaning: Sancuary. But can also mean: an invisible circle of protection, drawn around the body with the hand, that reminds you you are safe and loved, even in the darkest times.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had long ago learned two things about life-changing phone calls. 1) They were never good and 2) They always had to do with his mother.</p><p>[Discontinued]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caim

**Author's Note:**

> I caved and I caved bad. I am totally fine placing part of the blame on YuffiesNinjaInsanity and Sarah+Elizabeth, complete strangers who wanted more. I'll also blame [this Tumblr post](http://linesformletters.tumblr.com/post/31985223257/the-one-where-the-pack-goes-on-a-collective) (Norway and Finland are close enough geographically).
> 
>  
> 
> I'm just going to get it out of the way now that this is probably going to be very sporadically updated. I've got other fics I'm working on (AKA Perepeteia AKA 'I just need to get out these two middle chapters, freaking A'), and this will take a back seat to all of them. (Unless, of course, I'm bitten by a story-bunny much in the way I was for this part). So sorry in advance if you wait a few months for the next chapter.

The next day after school he sits in Lydia’s kitchen trying to have a conversation with her; trying because she has the fan above the stove at full roar and the shouting is starting to hurt his throat. “Can you turn that off?”

She faces him for a moment, a small stick in her gloved hands and a filter mask covering most of her face, and shakes her head, quickly turning back to whatever concoction she’s brewing up this time. With nothing else to do he sits at the kitchen island and pouts.

Seven minutes and forty-nine seconds later she turns off the stove and steps away. He can hear her muttering words of cleansing as she strips off her gloves and mask and tosses them. With the fan still roaring she gestures that they move to another room, _freaking finally_.

The den is _much_ quieter, especially with the doors closed. “Dare I ask why all of that was necessary?”

“Derek wanted a stronger oleander solution.” She shrugs. “Occupational hazard. So why’d you want to talk?”

His eyes narrow “Lydia. . .”

“What?” Her tone screamed ‘insulted’ “The Alpha asks, I deliver, regardless of what Mrs. Morrell might say.”

“I still don’t get why you two don’t get along. And I wanted to talk because per the conditions of our agreement.” And it felt so weird to have a conditional friendship (though at least they were down to only the one condition). “I have something you need to know.”

She quirked an eyebrow, “well?”

“I can uh, apparently turn into a fox.”

A minute later and she still hasn’t responded, he has to wonder if he’s stunned her into silence or if she’s just thinking.

“When did this happen?” The latter then.

“Yesterday. I woke up and I was a fox.”

“Can you do it again?”

He shuffles his feet. “I don’t know.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“I’m afraid that if I try and. . .uh. . .‘shift’ again I’ll be stuck a fox.”

“Mmmm, point.” She closes her eyes for a moment; when she opens them again she gives a little resolute nod. “Well try, if anything goes wrong I’ve got a reversal spell, and worst comes to worst I’ll call Deaton.”

He sighs. “Fine. So here’s me trusting you with my life.”

Lydia makes a noise of agreement, not bothering to look up from the note pad she’d produced from _somewhere_. Though her methodicalness is kind of comforting, knowing that for her this is as serious as her tests on Peter and Derek. (He knows why Peter does it; he’s clearly a masochist who enjoys having an eighteen year old girl poison him. But Derek willingly doing it still baffles him. At a guess it’s because he can’t have one of his Betas doing something he himself won’t do.)

It’s a bit of a struggle to get his mind back to the matter at hand, but he manages. He closes his eyes and starts thinking about what being a fox had been like, how he’d been fast and agile and in such a better position to make trouble. Something in his chest _twists_ and the world already feels more focused. He opens his eyes and everything is taller.

Lydia quickly jots something down. “Color me suitably impressed. Just to make communication easier: one bark for yes, two for no. Understand?”

He gives a happy bark.

“Alright. First things first: senses tests.”

-

When he gets home that night he feels wrung out like a dish rag, though Lydia’s thoroughness has some benefits. Knowing that he can shift back and forth is the biggest comfort; everything else they learned today is peanuts. Freaking useful peanuts (even if they were constrained to only his fox form), but peanuts all the same.

-

Stiles had long ago learned two things about life-changing phone calls. 1) They were never good and 2) They always had to do with his mother.

This life-changing call came at the glorious time of 7:16 AM (ugh). His dad answers. “Hello?” Stiles chugs the last of his breakfast tea (coffee is of the evil for both him and his dad) and watches his dad’s expression turn from interested to completely surprised. “Yeah, he’s right here hold on a moment.” Stiles takes the phone from his dad’s hand with a questioning eyebrow. “It’s your uncle Kyosti.”

Well that is completely unexpected. “Hello?”

“ _Buore iđit_ Väinö! How are you?”

Stiles wrinkles his nose at the nickname as he stuffs things into his backpack. “I’m fine Kyösti.” Though he’s seriously wondering why his mom’s family is suddenly feeling conversational.

“Good, good.” Stiles can hear the sound of foreign traffic over the phone. “I’m calling because your _áhkku_ wants you to come visit. She says it’s very important. And she says. . .” paper crinkles. “Ah! She says to bring your pack.”

He didn’t know if he’s more surprised by the use of ‘pack’ or the sudden invitation. “ _Áhkku_ wants me to come to Finland‽”

For a moment he’s distracted by his dad nearly fumbling his plate. Their eyes meet and his dad mouths ‘what?’, Stiles gives the most confused shrug he can muster.

Kyösti quickly pulls him back to the phone. “ _De_. You’re eighteen now, there are things you need to know. And it’s been far too long since we’ve seen you. _Áhkku_ says you can pick the dates, but that it needs to be soon. You still have our number right.”

Stiles nods. “ _De_.”

“Good. Call when you’ve figured out dates, and don’t forget your pack. Whoever they are.” Uncle Kyösti hangs up, leaving Stiles a bit flabbergasted and confused.

“Why does your grandmother want you to go to Finland?” At least his dad goes straight for the important questions.

“Kyösti says she’s got things to tell me now that I’m eighteen. And from the sound of things the trip’s non-negotiable.” The pack bit isn’t important right now, at least not for his dad.

His dad gives a gusty sigh. “Well it’ll beat our usual Christmas plans.”

Stiles does his best fish impression. “Wait, you’re saying I can go?”

That gets him the ‘dad look’. “You’re grandmother’s not exactly the sort of woman I want to cross. And the both of us deserve a vacation after what we’ve been through the past year or so.”

Stiles can only nod. He spares a brief glance at the clock and gives a little flail. “Crap. Gotta go.”

His dad smiles and shakes his head.

As Stiles clambers into his car he wonders how he’s going to convince the pack that going to Finland for a few weeks is a good idea.

**Author's Note:**

> The language Stiles and Kyösti are speaking is Sami.
> 
>  
> 
> Also Väinö isn't Stiles' complete name, only a nickname from his mom's side of the family (I know everyone goes with Genim, but I decided to be different and go with something more Finnish, also more unpronounceable)


End file.
